1 00:00:38,70 --> 00:00:41,82 And you will die if you don't make 2 00:00:42,61 --> 00:00:49,53 a profit. Because. They say they will be hard 3 00:00:49,69 --> 00:00:53,16 to read. And. 4 00:00:56,54 --> 00:01:02,80 In you. May have all the money 5 00:01:03,66 --> 00:01:06,98 we haven't really would rather be than 6 00:01:06,99 --> 00:01:13,84 a paper dollar. The gun. 7 00:01:15,27 --> 00:01:20,26 And. Numbers and. Tests we. 8 00:01:25,44 --> 00:01:29,85 Write. My. 9 00:01:32,62 --> 00:01:33,07 Body. 10 00:01:48,35 --> 00:01:54,45 At all. That's what they. Turn. Their power away. 11 00:01:56,59 --> 00:02:03,35 We. Will not be dissuaded and we will not turn around. And bury. 12 00:02:05,06 --> 00:02:11,89 Them that we. May see. The 13 00:02:11,90 --> 00:02:12,39 world. 14 00:02:39,44 --> 00:02:39,64 We're. 15 00:02:51,73 --> 00:02:52,03 Not. 16 00:03:08,75 --> 00:03:13,59 At. The start talking about the U.S. 17 00:03:13,60 --> 00:03:18,01 Blockade on Cuba so. Cuba had 18 00:03:18,02 --> 00:03:22,37 a revolution in one nine hundred fifty nine and before that revolution the United 19 00:03:22,38 --> 00:03:27,57 States basically Cuba or least all the important resources in Cuba it's the same 20 00:03:27,58 --> 00:03:29,27 story that happened in Latin America in 21 00:03:29,28 --> 00:03:33,71 a lot of other countries around the world and the conditions for Cubans were 22 00:03:33,72 --> 00:03:38,85 terrible and on top of owning all the natural resources the United States also used 23 00:03:38,86 --> 00:03:44,39 Cuba disgusting prostitution. Were all the famous people. 24 00:03:45,82 --> 00:03:51,19 The Rat Pack Frank Sinatra and if you've seen Godfather Part two you see them 25 00:03:51,20 --> 00:03:55,27 coming up the Cuba. So they had 26 00:03:55,28 --> 00:03:59,56 a revolution in one nine hundred fifty nine led by Fidel Castro and after the 27 00:03:59,57 --> 00:04:04,43 revolution they nationalized all the major industries in Cuba United States lost 28 00:04:04,44 --> 00:04:08,07 a lot of money overnight Cuban people gained a Larisa's over an 29 00:04:08,08 --> 00:04:09,90 a good thing in my opinion 30 00:04:10,08 --> 00:04:13,54 a bad thing in the opinion of the United States government who instantly started 31 00:04:13,55 --> 00:04:19,22 attacking Cuba. These were through terrorist operations through cutting off trade 32 00:04:19,23 --> 00:04:23,29 because previously they had made Cuba dependent on the United States for sugar 33 00:04:23,30 --> 00:04:28,21 trade. And the blockade I think started nine hundred fifty nine was officially 34 00:04:28,22 --> 00:04:32,88 announced in one thousand nine hundred two so right now according to the United 35 00:04:32,89 --> 00:04:34,49 States government it is illegal for U.S. 36 00:04:34,50 --> 00:04:39,44 Companies to trade with Cuba except in very specific circumstances and even more 37 00:04:39,45 --> 00:04:43,17 than that the United States government makes it illegal for subsidiaries of U.S. 38 00:04:43,18 --> 00:04:47,88 Companies to trade with Cuba and can actually prosecute and fines companies for 39 00:04:47,89 --> 00:04:49,21 trading with Cuba there was 40 00:04:49,22 --> 00:04:53,09 a Canadian man who was put in jail in the United States because he sold water 41 00:04:53,10 --> 00:04:58,14 purification tablets to Cuba and then moved to Philadelphia afterwards is in jail 42 00:04:58,72 --> 00:05:03,93 if you want to just Google all of the billion dollar fines that banks pay yearly to 43 00:05:03,94 --> 00:05:10,80 the United States for their crime of handling money with Cuban organizations any 44 00:05:10,81 --> 00:05:12,72 ship that docks in the U.S. 45 00:05:12,73 --> 00:05:19,59 Port cannot go to Cuba for I think it's six or six months afterwards 46 00:05:20,37 --> 00:05:22,83 that makes a if you're a ship and you're there you're 47 00:05:22,84 --> 00:05:26,49 a commercial enterprise are you going to choose between a country of eleven and 48 00:05:26,50 --> 00:05:29,69 a half million or a country of three hundred thirty million the U.S. 49 00:05:29,70 --> 00:05:35,23 Blockade on Cuba targets Cuba it tries to make the Cuban people weak it targets the 50 00:05:35,24 --> 00:05:40,65 most vulnerable which are children all the people sick people over ninety percent 51 00:05:40,66 --> 00:05:45,28 of the new medicines that are created in the world are made by U.S. 52 00:05:45,29 --> 00:05:49,75 Subsidiary companies Cuba it is illegal for Cuba to buy those medicines children 53 00:05:49,76 --> 00:05:55,26 undergoing chemotherapy in Cuba. Vomit at least ten to fifteen times 54 00:05:55,27 --> 00:05:59,41 a day because the medicine against vomiting is made by a U.S. 55 00:05:59,42 --> 00:06:03,74 Subsidiary company and therefore is illegal for them to have it is 56 00:06:03,75 --> 00:06:08,11 a cruel inhumane insane policy perpetrated by 57 00:06:08,12 --> 00:06:12,49 a government of the United States of America and the Cuban people know very well 58 00:06:12,69 --> 00:06:15,77 that this is the government of the United States of America not the people of the 59 00:06:15,78 --> 00:06:21,17 United States of America so that blockade has been going on for over fifty years 60 00:06:22,12 --> 00:06:26,32 and the passes for peace caravan to Cuba started in the early ninety's when the 61 00:06:26,33 --> 00:06:31,80 Soviet Union fell and Cuba lost literally ninety percent of its trade over named. 62 00:06:33,45 --> 00:06:36,61 Canada has Canada has about eighty percent of its trade with the United States 63 00:06:36,62 --> 00:06:40,21 government right now with companies United States right now and trying to think of 64 00:06:40,22 --> 00:06:43,76 what the economy of candor would be like without that trade over nade is 65 00:06:43,77 --> 00:06:49,38 unfathomable how underdeveloped country who is blockaded loses ninety percent of 66 00:06:49,39 --> 00:06:54,54 its trade overnight how it survives is incredible the average Cuban person lost 67 00:06:54,55 --> 00:06:57,05 twenty pounds during the ninety's they called it 68 00:06:57,06 --> 00:07:01,03 a special period because things were that desperate and instead of trying to help 69 00:07:01,04 --> 00:07:05,06 the Cuban people the United States increased the blockade made it harder for them 70 00:07:05,07 --> 00:07:11,16 to get access to food hard to get access to medicine. And the revolution Walker who 71 00:07:11,17 --> 00:07:14,32 had been involved in passage of peace into religious foundation for Community 72 00:07:14,33 --> 00:07:19,06 Organization and other solidarity projects for a long time before that he is 73 00:07:19,07 --> 00:07:25,79 a contemporary of Martin Luther King Jr saw what was happening in Cuba and decided 74 00:07:25,80 --> 00:07:27,11 to organize a caravan 75 00:07:27,79 --> 00:07:34,26 a caravan bringing aid and the for that first it was just powdered milk Bibles but 76 00:07:34,27 --> 00:07:37,63 it was an expression of the solidarity of the United States people for the people 77 00:07:37,63 --> 00:07:42,64 of Cuba. You'll you'll see videos and pictures from that first caravan in the 78 00:07:42,65 --> 00:07:47,98 ninety's of these priests trying to bring powdered milk across the border to Cuba 79 00:07:47,99 --> 00:07:52,77 on the US Mexico border and getting the crap kicked out of them by these border 80 00:07:52,78 --> 00:07:59,33 officers. But guess what there was video cameras there and that made the news 81 00:08:00,09 --> 00:08:00,71 and that started 82 00:08:00,72 --> 00:08:04,13 a big fuss because this policy this inhumane policy the United States government 83 00:08:04,14 --> 00:08:08,04 has been trying to keep under wraps for the past fifty years was coming to light 84 00:08:08,44 --> 00:08:11,98 they were forced to let the aid through that year and they've been forced to let 85 00:08:11,99 --> 00:08:14,18 the aid through for the past twenty four years. 86 00:08:15,80 --> 00:08:22,73 Thank you and it's incredible because that that's not this the passerby's caravan 87 00:08:22,74 --> 00:08:28,80 to Cuba isn't sponsored by any huge organization it isn't getting money from huge 88 00:08:28,81 --> 00:08:29,66 corporations it's 89 00:08:29,67 --> 00:08:33,78 a grassroots community initiative organize across North America and across the 90 00:08:33,79 --> 00:08:35,97 world and Seattle's been a big part of that for 91 00:08:35,98 --> 00:08:40,64 a long time so the Pastors for Peace caravan to Cuba is 92 00:08:40,65 --> 00:08:45,83 a really important initiative because one of the revolutions Walker said is it's 93 00:08:45,84 --> 00:08:50,83 a win win situation we win if they try and stop the aid from crossing the border 94 00:08:50,84 --> 00:08:54,59 because it publicize the blockade and the more people that know about the U.S. 95 00:08:54,60 --> 00:08:58,22 Blockade on Cuba especially the United States the faster it's going to end because 96 00:08:58,23 --> 00:09:02,92 nobody will accept it it's insane the second thing if we get the aid through we're 97 00:09:02,93 --> 00:09:04,18 bringing tons of aid to 98 00:09:04,19 --> 00:09:07,86 a country that's blockaded we're bringing food medicines vehicles that are really 99 00:09:07,87 --> 00:09:13,67 necessary and the model of the revolution Walker said is if there's 100 00:09:13,68 --> 00:09:17,51 a law against loving my neighbor I want to break it and I think that's 101 00:09:17,52 --> 00:09:22,64 a very good model in the something that the caravan has. Put forth for the past two 102 00:09:22,65 --> 00:09:29,58 decades and the work of that we continued again this year so. I just 103 00:09:29,59 --> 00:09:34,33 want to say that the United Nations is in session right now and Cuba is again 104 00:09:34,34 --> 00:09:35,56 presenting a motion against 105 00:09:35,57 --> 00:09:41,70 a blockade on Cuba it's been two decades that the United Nations has voted 106 00:09:41,71 --> 00:09:43,05 overwhelmingly against the U.S. 107 00:09:43,06 --> 00:09:48,16 Blockade on Cuba the only countries that still vote in favor of the block here are 108 00:09:48,17 --> 00:09:54,91 the United States Israel who has trade with Cuba. And the Marshall 109 00:09:54,92 --> 00:09:59,62 Islands which is per capita receives more foreign aid than Israel because it's such 110 00:09:59,63 --> 00:10:01,17 a small island so basically a U.S. 111 00:10:01,18 --> 00:10:05,48 Military base the rest of the world is united against the blockade on Cuba even the 112 00:10:05,49 --> 00:10:10,06 government of Canada with all the insane terrible policies it has that are similar 113 00:10:10,07 --> 00:10:13,14 to the United States' policy is they just have less money and less weapons to do it 114 00:10:13,15 --> 00:10:14,60 with votes against 115 00:10:14,61 --> 00:10:19,74 a blockade every year that's how crazy the blockade is so people around the United 116 00:10:19,75 --> 00:10:21,96 States Canada have been uniting against 117 00:10:21,97 --> 00:10:26,41 a blockade through the passes for peace caravan for Cuba for twenty for for over 118 00:10:26,42 --> 00:10:32,06 twenty years this was the twenty fourth caravan to Cuba so I'm going to I'm going 119 00:10:32,07 --> 00:10:36,25 to I'm going to talk about the border crossing that we did from the Canada into the 120 00:10:36,26 --> 00:10:41,93 United States then we went to Mexico Aaron's going to take it over in Cuba and then 121 00:10:41,94 --> 00:10:46,44 I'm going to come back and wrap up with hopefully some profound wisdom comments 122 00:10:46,45 --> 00:10:51,89 about the blockade in Cuba but the way we start every caravan at least in the 123 00:10:51,90 --> 00:10:53,64 Pacific Northwest is we have 124 00:10:53,65 --> 00:10:57,71 a picnic and everybody gets together the Peace Arch work crossing people from the 125 00:10:57,72 --> 00:10:59,93 U.S. People from Canada get together we have 126 00:10:59,94 --> 00:11:03,88 a big potluck much like this I said for it's water there's watermelon too because 127 00:11:03,89 --> 00:11:06,66 it's the summer and we get together all the care of 128 00:11:06,67 --> 00:11:10,33 a nice us talk about why they're going on the passage of peace caravan to Cuba and 129 00:11:10,34 --> 00:11:15,58 people like Pat from Seattle talk about how she is reading poetry off his i Phone 130 00:11:15,59 --> 00:11:19,26 here. To talk about why the caravans important and it's 131 00:11:19,27 --> 00:11:23,42 a really great place because you have all the border traffic going by on the Peace 132 00:11:23,43 --> 00:11:27,79 Arch were crossing and we've got big signs against a blockade in Cuba. So we have 133 00:11:27,80 --> 00:11:33,21 a picnic and then everybody gets together and marches forward towards the border 134 00:11:33,22 --> 00:11:39,75 crossing which is over here Peace Arch over here humanitarian aid over here it's 135 00:11:39,76 --> 00:11:42,80 really neat because like I said the part of the the cars are just parked there 136 00:11:42,84 --> 00:11:45,96 they've got nothing else to do but watch us and listen to what we have to say and 137 00:11:45,97 --> 00:11:47,76 of course we have a lot to say to them about the U.S. 138 00:11:47,77 --> 00:11:52,25 Blockade on Cuba this year when we approached the border these border guards came 139 00:11:52,26 --> 00:11:55,71 up and said You guys have to get off this grassy knoll here or we're going to 140 00:11:55,72 --> 00:11:59,23 arrest you we've been on that grass you know before they've never done made that 141 00:11:59,24 --> 00:12:04,83 same thread last year they tried to stop the aid for two days the they refused to 142 00:12:04,84 --> 00:12:07,04 let our humanitarian aid through but we had 143 00:12:07,05 --> 00:12:12,13 a forty eight hour continuous protest and made them really get the through this 144 00:12:12,14 --> 00:12:15,76 year they said you guys can come through there but the people here that are 145 00:12:15,77 --> 00:12:19,87 accompanying you cannot stand here we're going to arrest you so it turns out if we 146 00:12:19,88 --> 00:12:23,11 just cross that we just stepped about ten feet back or on the other side of the 147 00:12:23,12 --> 00:12:27,27 road we could still do what we wanted we did that went inside the border offices 148 00:12:27,67 --> 00:12:31,23 and I got I've never been asked such crazy questions in my life they went through 149 00:12:31,30 --> 00:12:37,52 every single thing in every single bag they had to look at our Cuban flags too. And 150 00:12:37,53 --> 00:12:41,15 asked us this questions I made no sense tried to intimidate us tried to confuse us 151 00:12:41,16 --> 00:12:46,10 but it's simple we're going to Cuba with humanitarian aid it's our right as human 152 00:12:46,11 --> 00:12:49,32 beings to do this and we're going to do it regardless of what you guys say. 153 00:12:50,47 --> 00:12:56,10 Thank you so that took about an hour and 154 00:12:56,11 --> 00:13:00,18 a half the thing is the longer we're in there the longer this people standing on 155 00:13:00,19 --> 00:13:02,07 this grassy nor chanting against 156 00:13:02,08 --> 00:13:05,65 a blockade on Cuba the more cars are being educated about the blockade on Cuba 157 00:13:06,16 --> 00:13:09,53 that's an artistic photo of her speaking at the border so he's on the he's on the 158 00:13:09,54 --> 00:13:13,13 north talking about the blockade on Cuba so after an hour and 159 00:13:13,14 --> 00:13:18,52 a half. We made over the border so that is people taking 160 00:13:18,53 --> 00:13:25,10 a photo from the grassy knoll. Crossed the border very very happy and then that's 161 00:13:25,11 --> 00:13:28,38 Are all of us and that's where we were standing and that's where the grassy knoll 162 00:13:28,39 --> 00:13:32,66 people were so we made over the border we're happy the humanitarian aid is going to 163 00:13:32,67 --> 00:13:38,01 Cuba again for the twenty fourth time and the passage for peace caravan to Cuba. So 164 00:13:38,02 --> 00:13:39,69 after this we all boarded 165 00:13:39,70 --> 00:13:45,05 a flight and went to Mexico City we stayed at Judy's house before that we 166 00:13:45,06 --> 00:13:47,21 celebrated after that and that's 167 00:13:47,22 --> 00:13:50,70 a really good thing is that the caravan brings people together I would have never 168 00:13:50,71 --> 00:13:54,79 met any of the more most of these people that hadn't been for the caravan and the 169 00:13:54,80 --> 00:13:59,24 unity that it shows despite borders despite blocky this despite everything that 170 00:13:59,25 --> 00:14:02,58 we're united and we've got this current project and we're going to see it through 171 00:14:02,77 --> 00:14:07,22 some of the caravan really really exemplifies so we celebrated and then we went to 172 00:14:07,23 --> 00:14:12,27 Mexico into Mexico we had a protest as part of the caravan in front of the U.S. 173 00:14:12,28 --> 00:14:17,16 Embassy in Mexico it was raining like crazy but there were still seven hundred 174 00:14:17,17 --> 00:14:18,77 people there in front of the U.S. 175 00:14:18,78 --> 00:14:23,22 Embassy protesting the blockade on Cuba this guy was on stilts in 176 00:14:23,23 --> 00:14:28,33 a big Cuba uniform and my my Blackberry camera wasn't good enough to get the total 177 00:14:28,34 --> 00:14:33,67 length of what he was doing but it was awesome. So if you never been to the U.S. 178 00:14:33,68 --> 00:14:40,05 Embassy in Mexico City you will see that it's basically caged in. And I thought 179 00:14:40,06 --> 00:14:46,09 this cage was temporary because of the protest but then I realize 180 00:14:47,15 --> 00:14:48,54 that this cages around the U.S. 181 00:14:48,55 --> 00:14:53,06 Embassy in Mexico permanently and these are yellow ribbons that activists in Mexico 182 00:14:53,07 --> 00:14:58,31 City put on. This month as part of the Yellow Ribbon campaign for the for the 183 00:14:58,83 --> 00:15:03,16 freedom of the Cuban Five so. I kind of liked it because the U.S. 184 00:15:03,17 --> 00:15:06,24 Is trying to block eat Cuba but they've put up their own blockades around 185 00:15:06,25 --> 00:15:10,07 themselves because people are so unhappy with everything they're doing and they has 186 00:15:10,08 --> 00:15:11,73 a really big ribbons on the U.S. 187 00:15:12,68 --> 00:15:16,58 Embassy in Mexico which I thought were awesome so I'm going to stop right now 188 00:15:16,59 --> 00:15:22,60 because from Mexico City we fly to Cuba and go to Santiago on the east and going to 189 00:15:22,61 --> 00:15:26,35 talk about that and then I will return but thank you very much for your attention 190 00:15:27,30 --> 00:15:34,06 thank you. As was mentioned earlier my name is Aaron McKinney I'm working with 191 00:15:34,42 --> 00:15:38,93 our communities in solidarity with Cuba and I join Thomas and Tamar who's not here 192 00:15:38,94 --> 00:15:45,49 right now for this year's caravan so picking up where Thomas left off we flew to 193 00:15:45,50 --> 00:15:51,74 Cuba spend some time and have Ana and then immediately went to Santiago 194 00:15:52,67 --> 00:15:56,35 on the eastern side of the island this is unique for the caravan because it's the 195 00:15:56,36 --> 00:16:00,90 first time that passes for peace has gone to that part of the island and it was 196 00:16:00,91 --> 00:16:07,52 very special for us because of the very important history that. Plays in the Cuban 197 00:16:07,53 --> 00:16:14,09 revolution as well as the huge diverse culture that exists in that city the vibrant 198 00:16:14,10 --> 00:16:20,38 atmosphere but also the. Current hurricane reconstruction efforts right now are 199 00:16:20,39 --> 00:16:26,72 centered in Santiago so in coming to 200 00:16:26,72 --> 00:16:32,08 Santiago we were immersed in history one of the first things we did was we went to 201 00:16:32,26 --> 00:16:34,75 see Jose Marti's tomb at 202 00:16:34,76 --> 00:16:40,44 a cemetery in Santiago basically what this is is the changing of the guard ceremony 203 00:16:40,76 --> 00:16:47,56 at the at the Jose Marti tomb. It was very special for us to see this didn't 204 00:16:47,62 --> 00:16:51,55 just happen for us we found out this took place every half an hour that these 205 00:16:51,56 --> 00:16:57,65 guards were doing going back and forth and as part of this tour we 206 00:16:58,06 --> 00:17:04,81 placed special wreaths. On. Within there 207 00:17:05,98 --> 00:17:12,65 so that was us just getting into. And visiting the Jose 208 00:17:12,66 --> 00:17:17,01 Marti two and this is the view from the top from the top of the steps and basically 209 00:17:17,02 --> 00:17:17,23 it was 210 00:17:17,24 --> 00:17:22,37 a Marty's figure within Cuba and within Cuban history is that he's seen as the 211 00:17:22,38 --> 00:17:27,05 father of Cuba it was a freedom fighter he was 212 00:17:27,06 --> 00:17:33,53 a writer and he led the fight against the Spanish but he also 213 00:17:33,54 --> 00:17:39,80 warned the Cuban people of the threat of the United States to the north trying to 214 00:17:39,81 --> 00:17:46,73 annex Cuba and within Cuba today. Words 215 00:17:46,74 --> 00:17:52,56 his ideas are mashed with Fidel's ideas or mash with Raul Castro's ideas and help 216 00:17:52,57 --> 00:17:56,76 steer the ideology of the country another thing that we were able to see when we 217 00:17:56,77 --> 00:17:57,56 were there is 218 00:17:57,63 --> 00:18:04,48 a museum in basically what this is is. In one nine hundred fifty three 219 00:18:06,20 --> 00:18:13,18 young Cuban revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro. Organized and planned an attack 220 00:18:13,22 --> 00:18:19,81 on the army garrison is located in Santiago and it was hoped that this attack 221 00:18:20,12 --> 00:18:25,85 would spark would be they would be able to gain the munitions gain the firepower 222 00:18:26,55 --> 00:18:30,70 and also gain the confidence of the Cuban people to take to rise up against the but 223 00:18:30,71 --> 00:18:37,43 these to regime this houses where it was all planned. More than one 224 00:18:37,44 --> 00:18:43,95 hundred sixty young people from across Cuba especially gathered here in secret 225 00:18:44,66 --> 00:18:48,63 and planned this attack on them and we can go through some of the slides to show 226 00:18:48,64 --> 00:18:55,22 that. They bought this farmhouse and claimed that they were growing 227 00:18:55,23 --> 00:19:01,48 chickens and this chicken coop they held vehicles they held munitions and in some 228 00:19:01,49 --> 00:19:07,38 of the. Areas surrounding the house in wells they were storing guns and basically 229 00:19:07,39 --> 00:19:12,47 they held the facade that they were just farmers and these are just bullet holes 230 00:19:12,48 --> 00:19:18,04 that were left in the farmhouse after the failed attack along. So here's some of 231 00:19:18,05 --> 00:19:22,59 the care and he says just learning more about the history and some of the people 232 00:19:22,60 --> 00:19:29,32 involved and the the attack in the planning which brings us to 233 00:19:29,33 --> 00:19:35,78 Moncada itself the next place we visited was the army Garrus and this is where the 234 00:19:35,79 --> 00:19:40,21 attack took place this attack was 235 00:19:40,23 --> 00:19:47,10 a failure of the hundred sixty people who took part in the 236 00:19:47,32 --> 00:19:50,39 in the attack on most of them were tortured and killed 237 00:19:51,53 --> 00:19:57,75 a few survived and were able to escape the Fidel escape. When I made escaped 238 00:19:57,79 --> 00:20:02,13 a number of other people escaped but majority of them were tortured and killed by 239 00:20:02,62 --> 00:20:08,95 henchmen so we walked through this. Through this museum looking at different 240 00:20:08,96 --> 00:20:13,08 aspects of the Cuban of the history of the Cuban revolution and the lead up to this 241 00:20:13,09 --> 00:20:19,56 attack this picture is actually the grandma which. The Cuban revolutionary sailed 242 00:20:19,57 --> 00:20:23,03 over from Mexico to Cuba and it was a it was 243 00:20:23,04 --> 00:20:26,93 a replica of it and this is 244 00:20:26,94 --> 00:20:32,78 a really sweaty Thomas and I standing in front of the. Long Count I can tell it's 245 00:20:32,96 --> 00:20:37,27 kind of them because the angle of the shop wasn't very good but were there. That's 246 00:20:37,28 --> 00:20:43,86 a better one the those are replicas of the showing the 247 00:20:43,87 --> 00:20:50,41 firefights and the battle that took place between. His military dictators 248 00:20:50,42 --> 00:20:55,93 military and the the Cuban revolutionaries and they just sing the thing that we 249 00:20:55,94 --> 00:21:02,53 learned about this museum is that it's also. In the sixty's they transformed it 250 00:21:02,54 --> 00:21:08,58 from a Gerritsen into elementary school as well as 251 00:21:08,59 --> 00:21:12,33 a museum for the revolution and I know some people have gone there in previous 252 00:21:12,34 --> 00:21:14,39 years this room that room was actually just 253 00:21:14,40 --> 00:21:20,04 a classroom full of students the other important aspect of. Which was 254 00:21:20,71 --> 00:21:26,54 a really nice coincidence for us is that we arrived in Santiago just. Just as it 255 00:21:26,55 --> 00:21:33,38 was taking place and incentive is the biggest con of all in all of Cuba Street upon 256 00:21:33,39 --> 00:21:38,19 street block upon block was full of people full of them this is one of the nights 257 00:21:38,20 --> 00:21:42,64 we were going out to see the floats basically at night you can walk out to the 258 00:21:42,65 --> 00:21:46,58 street and all you can hear was the conga and you could feel people moving just 259 00:21:46,72 --> 00:21:53,65 just at your feet and 260 00:21:53,66 --> 00:21:58,42 this is. One of the billboards that is right next to one of the main squares 261 00:21:58,67 --> 00:22:04,91 incense in. The fog the final part of both 262 00:22:04,92 --> 00:22:11,53 Santiago that was one of the main reasons why we chose my pastors chose to go there 263 00:22:11,54 --> 00:22:13,52 this year is 264 00:22:13,53 --> 00:22:20,22 a fact that. Was extremely devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 265 00:22:20,23 --> 00:22:24,56 October two thousand and twelve these are just some of the pictures showing the 266 00:22:24,57 --> 00:22:30,21 devastation that Sandy caused in less than five hours flowing through the country. 267 00:22:31,16 --> 00:22:37,21 I was specifically the city it hit other provinces but in Santiago It was 268 00:22:37,22 --> 00:22:41,79 especially severe because it's the second most populous country city and within the 269 00:22:41,80 --> 00:22:48,70 country and the place was devastated more than fifty percent of houses were smashed 270 00:22:48,70 --> 00:22:54,05 . More than twenty thousand houses were completely obliterated as you can see 271 00:22:54,06 --> 00:22:59,27 there's trees falling all over the road telephone lines electricity lines went down 272 00:22:59,64 --> 00:23:04,75 the whole country the whole city was basically completely devastated by this 273 00:23:04,76 --> 00:23:06,51 hurricane and this is 274 00:23:06,52 --> 00:23:12,83 a. Who went and visited Santiago immediately after the hurricane to witness the 275 00:23:12,84 --> 00:23:17,63 damage that took place and helped to organize the reconstruction so what we did as 276 00:23:17,64 --> 00:23:22,69 part of the caravan is we brought humanitarian aid to Cuba dissents Jago for the 277 00:23:22,70 --> 00:23:28,52 hospitals but we also took part in reconstruction efforts this is learning about 278 00:23:28,53 --> 00:23:35,24 some of the reforestation practices that Cuba taking on in the city of Santiago has 279 00:23:35,25 --> 00:23:41,47 been taking on as well ninety percent of the trees in Santiago which was known as 280 00:23:41,48 --> 00:23:47,96 a city of shade were up rooted by Sandy so they explain about the huge 281 00:23:48,58 --> 00:23:52,97 leap forward that they have to make with being able to bring in trees and help me 282 00:23:52,98 --> 00:23:56,02 force the city so Karen East is had 283 00:23:56,03 --> 00:24:02,60 a chance to dig. They some holes plant some trees and. 284 00:24:03,67 --> 00:24:04,28 I think part of 285 00:24:04,29 --> 00:24:09,43 a community process to rebuild. Another thing that we were able to take part in is 286 00:24:09,44 --> 00:24:16,22 that reconstruction of housing as I mentioned fifty percent of houses in that 287 00:24:16,23 --> 00:24:21,59 city were smashed twenty thousand completely obliterated but in the process since 288 00:24:21,95 --> 00:24:27,10 they reported that forty two percent of the housing issues in Santiago were 289 00:24:27,11 --> 00:24:29,54 repaired they were resolved but it's such 290 00:24:29,55 --> 00:24:35,21 a huge. Huge amount of work that needs to take place to continue so this is one of 291 00:24:35,22 --> 00:24:36,76 the housing complexes digging 292 00:24:36,77 --> 00:24:43,72 a foundation some caravan uses. In their hands dirty sweating is really hot 293 00:24:43,97 --> 00:24:49,07 when we were there but getting involved with the Cuban construction crew as well as 294 00:24:49,08 --> 00:24:54,26 events Ramos were grade which was they're taking part in the same project to go 295 00:24:54,27 --> 00:25:00,61 along and here we are learning about the efforts that the city has been making 296 00:25:00,98 --> 00:25:05,72 to re house all the people who've lost housing. And. 297 00:25:10,94 --> 00:25:17,54 This is just. The creativity that involved in reconstruction that 298 00:25:17,79 --> 00:25:22,18 doesn't just see we've got to how those people we've got to build blocks for people 299 00:25:22,19 --> 00:25:28,27 to sleep in but that this community which was in the south of. 300 00:25:30,33 --> 00:25:34,80 Who had access always experienced flooding had always experienced severe conditions 301 00:25:34,80 --> 00:25:40,91 . Was rebuilding housing for their people and for their community members and they 302 00:25:40,92 --> 00:25:45,45 decided to build a cafe in the next slide we're going to see that they just have 303 00:25:45,46 --> 00:25:47,18 a regular cafe built they had 304 00:25:47,19 --> 00:25:50,56 a cafe in the center of the community with the butt of 305 00:25:50,57 --> 00:25:54,26 a plane sticking into it and the plane itself is 306 00:25:54,27 --> 00:25:58,29 a cafe where you can go and sit down you can have waiters and waitresses come up 307 00:25:58,30 --> 00:26:04,31 and ask you what you want and you're basically flying above. I've never seen this 308 00:26:04,32 --> 00:26:08,18 before I don't know if I'll see it again but it's just something that shows that 309 00:26:09,02 --> 00:26:14,13 out of the ordinary that they'll do to make things extraordinary for the people of 310 00:26:14,14 --> 00:26:20,95 Cuba. Probably the. Most special part of the 311 00:26:21,77 --> 00:26:28,06 time in Santiago was July twenty sixth July twenty sixth was the sixtieth 312 00:26:28,07 --> 00:26:33,87 anniversary of the attack on the Moncada army garrison every year there's 313 00:26:33,88 --> 00:26:38,56 a celebration but this one was very special because it was the sixtieth So the 314 00:26:38,57 --> 00:26:43,70 pastor for peace care of an East. Received special invitation to take part in the 315 00:26:43,71 --> 00:26:47,09 celebration when we got there we woke up at three A.M. 316 00:26:47,45 --> 00:26:52,59 Walked down the street got in line realized we were just four four rows from the 317 00:26:52,60 --> 00:26:59,37 front sunrises and the dignitaries arrive and people who started 318 00:26:59,38 --> 00:27:02,52 going up to the stage to speak first of all we noticed 319 00:27:02,53 --> 00:27:06,94 a guy in Venezuelan track jacket realized that Nicolas Maduro the president of 320 00:27:06,95 --> 00:27:12,69 Venezuela was part of the celebration he came from. 321 00:27:14,24 --> 00:27:18,40 Cuba to take part in this momentous occasion and talked about all of the gains that 322 00:27:18,41 --> 00:27:23,43 have been made in Venezuela under Chavez and as part of the Bolivarian Revolution 323 00:27:24,19 --> 00:27:29,97 and the amount of credit that the Venezuelan people to Cuba as part of this process 324 00:27:30,09 --> 00:27:36,84 for the support and solidarity when he was done he said down and 325 00:27:36,85 --> 00:27:39,47 another guy got up a little shorter and we realized that if 326 00:27:39,48 --> 00:27:43,46 a morale as the president of Bolivia was there that's actually 327 00:27:43,47 --> 00:27:49,80 a little bit later but. Gets up and he starts talking and he starts talking about 328 00:27:49,81 --> 00:27:54,81 the process in Bolivia about how indigenous people have to reach have transformed 329 00:27:55,02 --> 00:27:58,25 their conditions in that country and against the U.S. 330 00:27:58,26 --> 00:28:04,74 Domination of their people following that dignitaries from Europe way 331 00:28:04,93 --> 00:28:11,78 President of Europe way we had people from presidents and 332 00:28:11,79 --> 00:28:18,01 leaders from all the countries across the Caribbean small island of even one 333 00:28:18,02 --> 00:28:23,27 hundred thousand people their president is getting up and talking. Talking about 334 00:28:24,25 --> 00:28:25,93 how now they have 335 00:28:25,97 --> 00:28:32,25 a foundation for self sustainability they have engineers they have doctors they 336 00:28:32,26 --> 00:28:38,99 have citizens who receive cataract surgery and they owe these gains in the what 337 00:28:39,00 --> 00:28:45,59 they have to what Cuba was able to provide for them and we were sitting 338 00:28:46,30 --> 00:28:49,78 I mean the three of us were from Canada we're sitting with people from across the 339 00:28:49,79 --> 00:28:55,65 United States and. I mean we were reflecting on how many times that we've been 340 00:28:55,66 --> 00:28:59,25 seeing Stephen Harper speak and there's 341 00:28:59,26 --> 00:29:04,54 a yeah I can't even get in on President let alone every single president of Latin 342 00:29:04,55 --> 00:29:10,03 America and across the Caribbean it just goes to show how much Cuba and the Cuban 343 00:29:10,04 --> 00:29:17,02 revolution has guided. The transformation of societies and 344 00:29:17,03 --> 00:29:20,82 the transformation of struggle across the western hemisphere to show these leaders 345 00:29:21,08 --> 00:29:25,03 are all in Cuba for this day finally we had 346 00:29:25,35 --> 00:29:30,90 a speech by Castro on July twenty sixth to give special mention of the care then he 347 00:29:30,91 --> 00:29:36,44 gave special mention to Lucius Walker for the years of solidarity with Cuba it was 348 00:29:36,45 --> 00:29:41,56 a big honor for all of us and he went on to talk about how the Cuban revolution 349 00:29:41,57 --> 00:29:48,26 developed the ideals of the young people he talked about the 350 00:29:48,27 --> 00:29:52,75 struggles in Cuba since one thousand fifty nine with 351 00:29:52,76 --> 00:29:57,50 a daily hourly and by the minute aggression from the United States and he talked 352 00:29:57,51 --> 00:30:02,09 about the challenges today with the younger generations and how many generations 353 00:30:02,10 --> 00:30:06,68 have grown up within the Cuban revolution not just before the revolution after but 354 00:30:06,69 --> 00:30:13,39 growing up as part of the revolution and the fact that in Cuba they have confidence 355 00:30:13,69 --> 00:30:19,18 in the continuation of this continuation of the socialist ideals of what Marty what 356 00:30:19,19 --> 00:30:25,78 Fidel laid as part of the foundation of the Cuban revolution. So as far as 357 00:30:26,38 --> 00:30:28,42 being there it was 358 00:30:29,23 --> 00:30:34,89 a great closing to our experience in Santiago and I think the next clip is the 359 00:30:34,90 --> 00:30:38,80 three of us just totally mesmerized by the day's activities. 360 00:30:42,03 --> 00:30:46,92 It was it was quite a day. I think Thomas is going to talk a little bit more about 361 00:30:48,09 --> 00:30:54,99 a little bit more about. OK Usually the caravan spends more time in Havana 362 00:30:55,92 --> 00:30:59,49 this year because of the hurricane and because of the reconstruction work we spent 363 00:30:59,49 --> 00:31:04,42 more time in Santiago but we did spend time in Havana at the University of Havana. 364 00:31:05,51 --> 00:31:07,29 And we did we're going to miss 365 00:31:07,30 --> 00:31:11,80 a slide of all this let you know. That we did meet with the families of the Cuban 366 00:31:11,81 --> 00:31:14,85 Five and the case of the Cuban Five is going to be explained 367 00:31:14,85 --> 00:31:18,97 a little bit later tonight on to say there are five Cuban political prisoners four 368 00:31:18,99 --> 00:31:22,99 of them still in jail in the United States one of them returned to jail fifteen 369 00:31:23,01 --> 00:31:26,10 years they've been in jail for defending the country of Cuba against U.S. 370 00:31:26,12 --> 00:31:31,49 Sponsored terrorism it's an insane and injustice and every time we go to Cuba on 371 00:31:31,50 --> 00:31:35,62 the caravan we meet with the families we meet with their wives who have not been 372 00:31:35,63 --> 00:31:39,86 able some of them not been able to visit their husbands for fifteen years we meet 373 00:31:39,87 --> 00:31:44,61 with their children who are no longer children and had to go through that whole 374 00:31:44,62 --> 00:31:49,75 process without their father and who still have the rest of their life to go and 375 00:31:49,75 --> 00:31:53,50 earn our living and with their families anyone who meets the families of the Cuban 376 00:31:53,52 --> 00:31:56,56 Five becomes committed to the case and it's 377 00:31:56,57 --> 00:32:01,57 a really important part of the caravan and we also got some time to see some of her 378 00:32:01,57 --> 00:32:01,80 than 379 00:32:01,81 --> 00:32:05,75 a this is the University of Havana where actually Fidel started organizing and if 380 00:32:05,75 --> 00:32:08,89 you google some pictures of lots of really good pictures of protests on the steps 381 00:32:08,91 --> 00:32:10,68 there against the he said 382 00:32:10,70 --> 00:32:16,67 a killer ship. One thing I wanted to say about the caravan this year is the people 383 00:32:16,68 --> 00:32:21,23 that came were awesome they were really excited to learn they wanted to see 384 00:32:21,24 --> 00:32:25,03 everything they wanted to see the good stuff they wanted to see the challenges and 385 00:32:25,04 --> 00:32:30,10 they wanted to be honest about it. And one thing that I'll tell anybody who's 386 00:32:30,11 --> 00:32:34,46 thinking about going to Cuba and I think everybody here should try to go to Cuba. 387 00:32:36,03 --> 00:32:39,85 Is that the more you give when you're in Cuba the more you receive the more you 388 00:32:39,86 --> 00:32:43,57 want the more you're trying to share yourself the more you put yourself out there 389 00:32:43,58 --> 00:32:49,76 despite language barriers the more you'll get back these are women from. That which 390 00:32:49,77 --> 00:32:55,25 is an organization and Oakland and they were just so pumped to be in Cuba looking 391 00:32:55,26 --> 00:32:59,31 at community organizing and because they do community organizing in Oakland on 392 00:32:59,90 --> 00:33:02,66 a pretty big scale but to see what you can do when you have 393 00:33:02,67 --> 00:33:05,33 a whole country dedicated to community organizing you have 394 00:33:05,34 --> 00:33:09,38 a whole con economy based on dignity and social justice and they're really pumped 395 00:33:09,39 --> 00:33:16,07 and they took that sweet photo with Fidel up in the mountains. And this is 396 00:33:16,08 --> 00:33:20,47 us at three in the morning those are invitations to go to the July twenty sixth 397 00:33:20,48 --> 00:33:24,79 event and just people they didn't matter that it was three in the morning people 398 00:33:24,80 --> 00:33:28,37 were just so pumped to be part of the program and like I said the caravan brings 399 00:33:28,38 --> 00:33:34,28 people together from all over who got our crew from Vancouver from New York from 400 00:33:34,29 --> 00:33:36,55 Memphis. Actually 401 00:33:36,56 --> 00:33:40,21 a woman studying an American woman standing at the Latin American School of 402 00:33:40,22 --> 00:33:47,16 Medicine. She is from the Midwest. And we're all together there pumps to be in 403 00:33:47,17 --> 00:33:52,91 Cuba psyched about the program. And I guess said the language barrier doesn't 404 00:33:52,92 --> 00:33:56,16 matter in Cuba if you're willing to go there and put your heart out and you really 405 00:33:56,17 --> 00:34:01,41 go there and try and meet with people. Fifty years old people have been living in 406 00:34:01,42 --> 00:34:04,41 a society that promotes community that promotes 407 00:34:04,42 --> 00:34:08,05 a quality of the current promotes people talking to each other on 408 00:34:08,06 --> 00:34:10,61 a regular basis about important things and that makes 409 00:34:10,62 --> 00:34:14,47 a different kind of person even from the kids you'll notice how happy they are and 410 00:34:14,48 --> 00:34:20,41 how important it is for them to learn to talk with other people. Had to put this in 411 00:34:20,42 --> 00:34:26,51 here this is a choir this is the world's largest choir bear. There is 412 00:34:26,52 --> 00:34:31,36 a quiet bear museum in the spirit to use in Cuba why a bear is 413 00:34:31,37 --> 00:34:35,54 a traditional Cuban Sure you might have heard about it because when some of the 414 00:34:35,55 --> 00:34:36,87 Americans happen in Colombia 415 00:34:36,88 --> 00:34:40,74 a couple years ago Obama tried to get himself made one so he could go there and 416 00:34:40,75 --> 00:34:45,70 blend in and for the reflection about your blocking our country if you're trying to 417 00:34:45,71 --> 00:34:50,44 front on the sure that comes from our country Nice try body so you can get 418 00:34:50,45 --> 00:34:54,12 a lot of famous people why beer as you can see them in there you can see Fidel's 419 00:34:54,13 --> 00:35:01,06 Raul Chavez. Famous women who are made as well but you will not find Obama stupid 420 00:35:01,07 --> 00:35:05,98 go bare in there and you will find the world's largest quiet as well the other part 421 00:35:05,99 --> 00:35:09,83 of the caravan as it's been going on for twenty years and there's people like Bill 422 00:35:09,84 --> 00:35:13,86 Hill who have been on every single caravan for the past twenty years and have this 423 00:35:14,01 --> 00:35:19,24 insane accumulation of knowledge and experience and dedication and when you mix 424 00:35:19,25 --> 00:35:23,13 that with these younger people who are just to be in Cuba we're learning about 425 00:35:23,14 --> 00:35:24,10 social justice 426 00:35:24,31 --> 00:35:27,59 a lot of the people who are or someone associated with the Occupy movement in New 427 00:35:27,60 --> 00:35:31,54 York we're learning about these ideas of community and they're finally seeing them 428 00:35:31,55 --> 00:35:35,09 applied and to be able to have that exchange between young and old Bill to be able 429 00:35:35,10 --> 00:35:38,69 to exchange everything that he's learned and to be able to be reenergized by these 430 00:35:38,70 --> 00:35:43,73 people they're really taking on the project and being and going forward with it and 431 00:35:43,74 --> 00:35:48,60 the conversations on the bus just didn't stop they weren't always about Cuba they 432 00:35:48,61 --> 00:35:52,07 were always saying all Cuba is great this Cuba is great that people were asking 433 00:35:52,08 --> 00:35:56,12 questions people were trying to delve deep but people were really really impacted 434 00:35:56,13 --> 00:36:01,26 by what they were seeing they were provoked by it and if you go to Cuba. You will 435 00:36:01,27 --> 00:36:08,16 notice that for sure. Sometimes things don't go the way you planned. We 436 00:36:08,17 --> 00:36:11,97 have more experience with bus breakdowns on previous caravans because we take all 437 00:36:11,98 --> 00:36:15,81 the school buses across the United States and being there and the loaded to being 438 00:36:15,82 --> 00:36:21,53 to Cuba this year the caravan was organized differently we flew to Mexico City and 439 00:36:21,54 --> 00:36:24,12 then flew to Cuba but we still managed to have 440 00:36:24,13 --> 00:36:30,41 a bus break down while in Cuba. I think it was the last day too was our last bus 441 00:36:30,42 --> 00:36:33,69 ride but I think it was just kind of like for for old times sake we got 442 00:36:33,70 --> 00:36:38,41 a bus break down but everybody everybody just got out people started drawing 443 00:36:38,42 --> 00:36:43,21 sharing poetry I was in the shade over here we were sharing stories that I won't 444 00:36:43,22 --> 00:36:44,79 repeat because there's 445 00:36:44,80 --> 00:36:48,54 a Karen camera here but the bus got fixed and we went for and that's the caravans 446 00:36:48,55 --> 00:36:52,01 about sometimes the food isn't when you wanted to come sometimes there's not enough 447 00:36:52,02 --> 00:36:56,54 space sometimes it's really hot and you don't have enough water but the fact that 448 00:36:56,55 --> 00:36:57,20 you're there for 449 00:36:57,21 --> 00:37:01,98 a reason the fact that you can see people around there who are there for the same 450 00:37:01,99 --> 00:37:06,22 reasons and you're moving forward together all those kind of bombs those take outs 451 00:37:07,02 --> 00:37:10,94 they just become tires they get fixed and you move on and that's part of how the 452 00:37:10,95 --> 00:37:16,08 caravan works I wanted to put this slideshow out there because the two women in the 453 00:37:16,09 --> 00:37:20,60 middle are American students who are studying medicine for free at the Latin 454 00:37:20,61 --> 00:37:26,03 American School of Medicine in Cuba among many students. But we brought them to me 455 00:37:26,07 --> 00:37:31,00 with manual yet they was on the far right he's been in the he's one of the 456 00:37:31,01 --> 00:37:34,12 revolutionaries who's been in it from the beginning since before nine hundred fifty 457 00:37:34,13 --> 00:37:39,13 nine and the clandestine movement he organized with Che Guevara as well as us as an 458 00:37:39,63 --> 00:37:45,34 error was the son of Antonio Guerrero SR one of the Cuban Five. And we were able to 459 00:37:45,35 --> 00:37:50,45 meet with them and kind of talk about the the young and the old new generation 460 00:37:50,64 --> 00:37:55,14 older generation and how they work together in the Cuban revolution and it was 461 00:37:55,15 --> 00:37:59,25 really great for us to be able to talk with them. I just wanted to this is this is 462 00:37:59,26 --> 00:38:04,41 the poetry part but I'll give some context this man right here is name is Danielle 463 00:38:05,32 --> 00:38:07,02 he's a rapper from New York City he's 464 00:38:07,03 --> 00:38:12,26 a Cuban American rapper from New York City he's the same age of me as me his dad 465 00:38:12,27 --> 00:38:17,54 fled Cuba after the revolution his dad actually fled stole 466 00:38:17,58 --> 00:38:24,36 a boat and blew it up and came to New York and was actually affiliated with 467 00:38:24,37 --> 00:38:28,96 organizations that the Cuban Five are infiltrating so he didn't grow up in 468 00:38:28,97 --> 00:38:35,80 a very pro Cuba atmosphere he was basically forbidden to talk about it and. His 469 00:38:35,81 --> 00:38:40,66 father when he told him that he was going to go to Cuba on the caravan said Don't 470 00:38:40,67 --> 00:38:43,04 bother calling anymore we don't have 471 00:38:43,05 --> 00:38:49,94 a relationship so for him after thirty one years. To go to Cuba 472 00:38:49,95 --> 00:38:51,01 for the first time was 473 00:38:51,02 --> 00:38:56,50 a really big deal. And to see him in Cuba for the first time was 474 00:38:56,51 --> 00:39:02,38 a really big deal. And he was just this way that way trying to take it all in. 475 00:39:04,11 --> 00:39:09,88 And it was just really incredible to see the way that he was impacted by it. And I 476 00:39:09,89 --> 00:39:14,72 made reference to how many people here have seen The Godfather Part two. OK we've 477 00:39:14,73 --> 00:39:18,36 got enough people this story is going to work so I made reference to the part where 478 00:39:18,37 --> 00:39:22,11 they talk they've been there all the mobsters are there and they've got the cake 479 00:39:22,12 --> 00:39:26,55 and they're cutting up the cake which is which as Cuba on the cake in the final You 480 00:39:26,56 --> 00:39:33,00 got what we wanted state help with our initiatives. And he said the same thing. 481 00:39:34,18 --> 00:39:37,41 But he was talking about the hip hop initiatives that he was doing he was talking 482 00:39:37,42 --> 00:39:43,67 about coordinating activities between Cuban rappers and American rappers and he 483 00:39:43,68 --> 00:39:46,96 were put in he was instantly put in touch with people from the Cuban government the 484 00:39:46,97 --> 00:39:51,24 Ministry of Culture who are excited about his project and for him to come from the 485 00:39:51,25 --> 00:39:54,56 United States to think about China or ever relate to the U.S. 486 00:39:54,57 --> 00:39:58,85 Government on what he was doing and if I when he came to Cuba and they were so 487 00:39:58,86 --> 00:40:03,07 excited about what he was putting forward. And so I wrote 488 00:40:03,08 --> 00:40:09,15 a poem to Danielle because. It was really just amazing to see what he was going 489 00:40:09,16 --> 00:40:14,63 through this some hip hop references in here that. I didn't get until I talked to 490 00:40:14,64 --> 00:40:19,66 him about it and I just I put them in there because he knew that he would like it 491 00:40:19,99 --> 00:40:23,40 but other than that I think that you guys who understand this and references to New 492 00:40:23,41 --> 00:40:23,84 York because 493 00:40:23,85 --> 00:40:29,26 a lot of people who are from the brigade of the caravan were from New York so. This 494 00:40:29,27 --> 00:40:36,17 program this poem is called to Danielle A Tree Grows in Santiago 495 00:40:36,45 --> 00:40:41,83 despite heat and hurricanes and it still grows in Brooklyn beating back bulldozers 496 00:40:41,84 --> 00:40:44,51 and Sandy's rains in Havana 497 00:40:44,64 --> 00:40:49,77 a tree is growing too and in Buffalo as Julian said the tree of God still collects 498 00:40:49,78 --> 00:40:55,27 do they go they grow out of the cracked concrete which is as figurative as it is 499 00:40:55,28 --> 00:41:00,57 concrete we can tell because of where the sidewalk hits our feet where our souls 500 00:41:00,58 --> 00:41:06,84 and our souls meet no gold between us but we've still got Cuban Linx despite 501 00:41:06,85 --> 00:41:13,26 blockades despite angry father's tirades I'm not asking you to look at the island 502 00:41:13,27 --> 00:41:17,67 through rose colored colored glasses. But if we understand the world in terms of 503 00:41:17,68 --> 00:41:24,30 masses and classes is from Cuba we should be taking the classes and not the 504 00:41:24,31 --> 00:41:29,65 US suits who should be telling us who fails and who passes as Chavez said this 505 00:41:29,66 --> 00:41:36,56 smell like sulfur gases. Are so enormous in Seattle they don't they say that's part 506 00:41:36,57 --> 00:41:41,85 of us you know to the case almost no song was us on head office yesterday I don't 507 00:41:41,86 --> 00:41:48,17 the Chrissie that's on with us and now we're in the sunlight because we fight right 508 00:41:48,99 --> 00:41:54,98 right we feel so lit up in the Santiago street lights talking in terms of I will 509 00:41:55,22 --> 00:41:57,84 instead of I might for that's 510 00:41:57,85 --> 00:42:05,71 a poem thank you thank 511 00:42:05,71 --> 00:42:12,46 you. For this one quickly so I thought blushing we also Daniel was able to 512 00:42:12,48 --> 00:42:16,02 collaborate with Cuban hip hop artists that we work with and then who were called 513 00:42:16,03 --> 00:42:21,94 up this year on within three hours they had about three quarters of two songs made 514 00:42:22,23 --> 00:42:26,42 and for Daniele to be able to collaborate with Cuban musicians and to express 515 00:42:26,43 --> 00:42:30,72 himself and he felt so what home was an incredible part and that's what the caravan 516 00:42:30,73 --> 00:42:35,87 it's part of breaking down these blocky this insane he's thirty one years he's 517 00:42:35,88 --> 00:42:40,35 never been able to travel to Cuba it's insane that three hundred thirty million 518 00:42:40,36 --> 00:42:45,65 people it's a it's illegal for you guys to travel to Cuba it's insane that Cuba 519 00:42:45,98 --> 00:42:48,22 a third world country has lost over 520 00:42:48,23 --> 00:42:52,78 a trillion dollars because of this blockade and that's why the that's why the 521 00:42:52,79 --> 00:42:58,36 caravan exists and that's why we're going to continue to continue to fight it. And 522 00:42:58,92 --> 00:43:00,84 on the caravan you get the feel of things 523 00:43:01,24 --> 00:43:05,85 a lot of cute Cuban kids as well and these are the kind of kids that if they need 524 00:43:05,86 --> 00:43:09,97 some specialized medicines can get them and these are the kind of kids that the 525 00:43:09,98 --> 00:43:12,94 Cuban revolution is fighting to protect in the caravan is fighting to be 526 00:43:12,95 --> 00:43:16,51 a part of that process as well. We have 527 00:43:16,52 --> 00:43:23,43 a tradition in Vancouver that all our slide shows and. Sunsets in Cuba 528 00:43:24,17 --> 00:43:28,62 is this kind of what we do but I thought I was going to break the tradition this 529 00:43:28,63 --> 00:43:34,36 time and put this view this picture of the Cuban flag waving there's 530 00:43:34,37 --> 00:43:40,33 a storm in the distance and that's very I thought it was very appropriate because 531 00:43:40,34 --> 00:43:46,11 the Cuban flag has fly has flown proud insightful phone strong in the face of so 532 00:43:46,12 --> 00:43:49,64 many storms but it continues to fly and there's us there's 533 00:43:49,65 --> 00:43:54,48 a saying in Cuba they say you cannot blockade hold. And you definitely cannot 534 00:43:54,49 --> 00:43:58,67 blockade hold and the blockade is going to end we are going to be part of ending 535 00:43:58,68 --> 00:43:59,01 the U.S. 536 00:43:59,02 --> 00:44:04,83 Blockade on Cuba and the caravan is an important part of that so one one last thing 537 00:44:05,94 --> 00:44:09,35 on my side I lied I'm going to put a science 538 00:44:09,36 --> 00:44:14,82 a sense that in here just for tradition sake we really want to thank you guys I 539 00:44:14,83 --> 00:44:15,27 think we went 540 00:44:15,28 --> 00:44:20,52 a bit longer than we told how that we would be it's hard not to go on and on about 541 00:44:20,53 --> 00:44:24,54 the passage of these caravan to Cuba and about Cuba in general because it is such 542 00:44:24,55 --> 00:44:29,59 an inspiring example we work hard in Vancouver for the Cuban Five against 543 00:44:29,60 --> 00:44:35,23 a blockade our work is important. But the most important work is here in the United 544 00:44:35,24 --> 00:44:40,65 States you guys live in the belly of the beast we live in kind of the intestines. 545 00:44:42,20 --> 00:44:47,72 The blood the blockade has to end us people in the incredibly important part of 546 00:44:47,73 --> 00:44:52,11 that movement the caravan and shown that I want to encourage everybody the Seattle 547 00:44:52,12 --> 00:44:52,40 U.S. 548 00:44:52,41 --> 00:44:58,59 Cuba Friendship Association is still organizing is still fighting for social justice 549 00:44:58,85 --> 00:45:02,89 to educate people about Cuba they're doing great work and I want to ask you guys. 550 00:45:03,72 --> 00:45:06,53 Work with them as much as you can because they're great people and the initiative 551 00:45:06,54 --> 00:45:09,06 is really important so thank you very much everybody. 552 00:45:26,29 --> 00:45:32,19 I will not celebrate Columbus. Oh I will turn here the way. 553 00:45:33,97 --> 00:45:40,25 I live not celebrate Columbus. There is no honor on that day 554 00:45:41,02 --> 00:45:46,77 on that day when the Great Cat So they say without proof that the world around. 555 00:45:48,50 --> 00:45:54,26 Yeah but really he was looking out going he would kill for all for the sake of the 556 00:45:54,27 --> 00:45:56,70 European crown and they found 557 00:45:56,71 --> 00:46:02,60 a pedal people on the shoreline. A gentle people they could turn them into slaves 558 00:46:03,45 --> 00:46:09,67 and they cut those people down doesn't that good to me Give them time to dig their 559 00:46:09,68 --> 00:46:16,49 own graves and I will not celebrate Columbus. I'll not be an honor to his 560 00:46:16,50 --> 00:46:22,70 name. No I will not celebrate Columbus. It is 561 00:46:22,71 --> 00:46:29,21 a day and then to me and she and the floodgates are open and history rolled and the 562 00:46:29,22 --> 00:46:34,55 numbers were uncomfortable the number of Rick streams and every dead one died for 563 00:46:34,56 --> 00:46:40,49 a hot Bell full of gold discarded in the margins of the American dream and I know 564 00:46:40,50 --> 00:46:40,73 it was 565 00:46:40,74 --> 00:46:47,80 a long time ago. I was hard to remember but it's harder still to forget. Living 566 00:46:47,81 --> 00:46:53,52 in the shadow of the whole of cost me some will organize and rise to be 567 00:46:53,53 --> 00:46:59,74 a correct and I will not celebrate Columbus. No I will not give honor to 568 00:46:59,75 --> 00:47:00,41 a killer and 569 00:47:00,42 --> 00:47:06,85 a thief and I will not celebrate Cullen. Not participate in 570 00:47:06,86 --> 00:47:07,86 absurdities. 571 00:47:22,66 --> 00:47:22,88 And there's 572 00:47:22,89 --> 00:47:30,80 a statue up by City Hall. The soldier with his uniform helmet and gun shooting 573 00:47:30,81 --> 00:47:37,61 to his army and Sand Creek. Women and children and what have they done they have 574 00:47:37,69 --> 00:47:44,23 paid their paradise money blood. Their great news on the backs of the dead 575 00:47:44,47 --> 00:47:49,12 and the standard for the good of their arrival. There will be 576 00:47:49,13 --> 00:47:55,89 a price on their head. Celebrate Columbus. No I will. 577 00:47:59,63 --> 00:48:06,58 Not celebrate along. This Texas upside 578 00:48:06,59 --> 00:48:13,32 down world and over. This make sense of senseless. This bill 579 00:48:13,33 --> 00:48:17,89 how we get all of them together. Let's clean up this mess. 580 00:48:21,09 --> 00:48:27,99 Not celebrate along. Celebrate along. Nohow 581 00:48:28,52 --> 00:48:31,75 celebrate. The long. 582 00:48:35,22 --> 00:48:35,82 Run. 583 00:49:15,80 --> 00:49:18,86 Alone me a minute let me borrow your ear I'll sing 584 00:49:19,13 --> 00:49:22,50 a song about Leonard Peltier he's gone along in 585 00:49:22,51 --> 00:49:28,90 a federal jail the innocent the mother. In South 586 00:49:29,05 --> 00:49:33,61 Dakota where the fear was from the presence of one from the mountain the stone is 587 00:49:33,62 --> 00:49:36,49 said people were free to roam there was 588 00:49:36,50 --> 00:49:43,34 a struggle for freedom and. The whole. 589 00:49:46,71 --> 00:49:48,79 Must be lost to the Indian War. 590 00:49:53,93 --> 00:50:00,57 A company to the high command that we need. For oil and 591 00:50:00,58 --> 00:50:02,93 humanity and home. To start 592 00:50:02,94 --> 00:50:09,89 a little Indian for. The orders from away on high and do 593 00:50:09,90 --> 00:50:14,76 all the job or they have the it will be hard I will have. Just 594 00:50:15,12 --> 00:50:16,71 a little trouble following. 595 00:50:29,77 --> 00:50:32,76 You know where the Spirit to dwell was 596 00:50:32,77 --> 00:50:37,71 a time I remember where there were women and children gathered there when the with 597 00:50:37,88 --> 00:50:44,52 little or no misery. It was one of those 598 00:50:45,24 --> 00:50:49,62 to the call when the time and dangerous strangers are probably around. 599 00:50:55,11 --> 00:50:56,07 With me that's 600 00:50:56,08 --> 00:51:01,90 a made their prey and I've done that alone. And three men die in the cold the last 601 00:51:02,50 --> 00:51:03,25 to let the. 602 00:51:24,41 --> 00:51:29,27 That way all they cared about was they're. Going to get somebody for 603 00:51:29,28 --> 00:51:36,20 a couple. Of charges. But let you got away 604 00:51:36,33 --> 00:51:38,51 to the Capitol where we lived for 605 00:51:38,52 --> 00:51:43,35 a while in the northern town. And got it back down. 606 00:51:54,29 --> 00:51:58,74 The. Kinds of murder first degree count they got 607 00:51:58,75 --> 00:52:05,54 a life on the back time. That it will. Take 608 00:52:05,55 --> 00:52:12,32 since. Going back to the job well. Done of the mighty right. 609 00:52:13,88 --> 00:52:14,13 Bad. 610 00:52:21,42 --> 00:52:24,29 Years of suffering over the years makes 611 00:52:24,30 --> 00:52:36,17 a warrior strong and. The 612 00:52:36,18 --> 00:52:38,11 last. Oh. 613 00:52:53,68 --> 00:52:57,53 So expensive. To die for 614 00:52:57,54 --> 00:53:02,10 a moment but time to pass him by. Your reach. 615 00:53:05,72 --> 00:53:12,65 Oh it's all. All right. With the 616 00:53:12,66 --> 00:53:15,15 right man but this trouble for. 617 00:53:28,73 --> 00:53:34,45 The with. This man. 618 00:53:38,64 --> 00:53:44,26 The hollow power of. The power of the rain. The wind. 619 00:53:47,11 --> 00:53:51,37 The pile. O. 620 00:53:52,08 --> 00:53:58,56 Willing to stop meddling in the with the. Spoken here. 621 00:54:27,12 --> 00:54:27,85 Thank you very much. 622 00:54:47,68 --> 00:54:51,23 My country has. Want to make 623 00:54:51,24 --> 00:54:58,17 a lot of I want to spread all around. Me the back of my time there 624 00:54:58,18 --> 00:55:04,32 somebody telling. Me the sun. Do we all. 625 00:55:06,43 --> 00:55:07,02 Want to build 626 00:55:07,03 --> 00:55:14,02 a country notice to appeal to the liberty to write. You're saying. Maybe it'll 627 00:55:14,03 --> 00:55:18,60 help to make. This 628 00:55:18,61 --> 00:55:22,33 a racial. Declaration. 629 00:55:27,93 --> 00:55:28,07 And. 630 00:55:38,64 --> 00:55:45,51 We hold these truths to be self. On hand so. That we're 631 00:55:45,52 --> 00:55:52,50 all. Black. Sort. 632 00:55:53,69 --> 00:55:56,82 Of all right. To. 633 00:56:02,57 --> 00:56:09,42 Make you want. To secure these rights we need. To get the 634 00:56:09,43 --> 00:56:16,25 power from the governed by our send. Them to come talk to. The 635 00:56:16,26 --> 00:56:17,83 right people to alter or of. 636 00:56:50,74 --> 00:56:56,66 What in the current human events. Where government all races all. 637 00:56:57,74 --> 00:57:04,11 These words are written more than years ago. With history. So low. 638 00:57:05,31 --> 00:57:11,68 So low. Government should not be chained by train 639 00:57:11,90 --> 00:57:17,14 cars who want to use the news to me because. It is the. 640 00:57:18,51 --> 00:57:24,34 Response. For all the government and move on. 641 00:57:27,38 --> 00:57:31,26 Yet there. Are 642 00:57:31,27 --> 00:57:37,26 a. Big. 643 00:57:41,88 --> 00:57:48,04 Race in. Your decorating. To. 644 00:57:49,91 --> 00:57:53,65 Say we. Really. 645 00:57:59,99 --> 00:58:00,01 Are.